Skimmer for boilers



E. RANKIN.

SKIMNIER FOR BOILERS.

APPLlcATloN FILED mac. 19. 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.l

E. RANKIN. y SKIMMER FOR'BOILERS.

APPLICATION HLED DEC. 19, 19|9.

55 tubes thereof.

UNITED sra'ras lA'lNT QFFICE.

EDMUND RANKIN, OF LINCOLN, ILLINOIS.

SKIMMER FOR BOILERS.

Application ler December 19, 1919.

ing olf or removing scum, dirt, foam and sediment which rise to thesurface of the water in steam boilers, and its object is to provide anovel and improved device of this kind which can be applied tolocomotive and stationary bodies with equal facility, which has a largeeffective working area and in which the skimmer-tubes are so mountedthat it remains perfectly level with the surface of the water in allpositions of the boiler.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a plurality ofindependent skimmer-tubes, each of which is automatically controlled bya separate float and has 2,5 a plurality of skimmer-nozzles extending in"opposite directions relative to the float.

lVith the herein stated objects in view and others hereinafter setforth, the invention consists in a combination and arrange 3g ment ofparts to be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of onear rangement of the improved skimming de- 35 vice mounted within aboiler;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view detached from the boiler;

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing a side elevation of one of theindependent skimmers;

F ig. 4 is an end view of one of the skimmers and showing its normalposition relative to the level of the water and also showing the circleof travel in dotted lines;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through one of the skimmers and its float;

Fig.` 6 is a sectional view showing a modified manner of constructingthe skimmers; F ig. 7 is a detail view showing one of the clampingsockets on the end of the pipe 5o frame.

Similar reference numerals in all of the figures of the drawingsdesignate like parts. Referring to the drawings, 10 designates anordinary steam boiler, and 11 the lire- Mounted within the boiler' isthe skimming apparatus, which comprises Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920. serial No. 345,999. l

vin the present instance, the supporting frame 12 embodies alongitudinal central section 1l, oppositely extending forward sections15 projecting at right-angles to said central section 1-1, and parallelarranged branch sections 1G extending from the rear end of the centralsection and parallel therewith. At its forward end, said pipe frame isconnected to the top wall of the boiler by a vertical pipe 17 whichextends through the boiler wall to the outside of the boiler andhasconnected toit an outlet-extension 1S that is provided with a suitableblowoff-valve 19.

As shown in the drawings, each of the pipe sections 14C, 15 and 16 isprovided with a skimmer device preferably formed of an integral castinghaving a hollow hub 20, two downwardly-extending and oppositelycurvedpipe-arms 21 connecting with the hollow hub, and an outwardly-extendingnozzle 22 projecting from the lower eX- tremity of each of the pipe-arms21. Said hollow hub is pivotally mounted on a nipple 23 forming part ofthe supporting pipeframe and said nipple is provided with apertures2Licommunicating with the pocket or hollow formed in the hub, and saidhub is retained in position by collar socket members 25 which aremovably secured to nipple 23 in any suitable manner and the socketportion of which engages around short tubular extension 26 formed onoppoR` utween the axis of the hub and the axis of thenozzles, and canmove in a complete circle about the axis of the hub.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, the hub 28 is castwith Aa central socket 29 to which the float-ball is secured, and twoside sockets 30 in which pipe-arms 31 are secured.

In operation, when the blow-off-valve 19 is opened, the pressure withinthe boiler will force the scum, dirt or foam into the nozzles 22 throughthe pipe-arms 21 into the hubs 20; then through apertures 24 into thepipe-frame; and through the pipe-frame and pipe 17 Vto'pipe 18 and outof the discharge-end.

The free ends Vof each of the skimmer supporting sections 15 and 16 areclosed by a cap 32, each of said caps beingprovided with a blow-outorifice 33, so that, when valve 19 is opened, the steam pressure willenter the pipe-frame through the openings 33 and force out any sedimentwhich might accumulate in the terminals of the pipeframe `beyond theoutlet apertures 2d. thus avoiding any dead ends in the apparatus.

One advantage of using a plurality of separate and independently-pivotedskimmers is that the skimmers can be made relatively small and of lightweight, thereby requiring relatively small floats which will allow theskimmer-nozzles to skim close to the lire-tubes, or to the bottom of thedrums in water-tube boilers, and the water in the boiler will not havethe same force on theV small/float as on a large one, nor will thepressure crunch themas easily as it would a large one.

By forming the pipe-frame of connected sections of pipe, it is possibleto form as many skimmer supporting branches as is necessary to cover thewater-surface area of any design of boiler. In a large boiler, the

-skimmers should be widely scattered. 1n

a small boiler, they could be radially arranged around 'an outlet-pipesimilar to pipe 17 5 and in a locomotive boiler they should be placed oneach side of the dry-pipe, the

number of skimmers to be used depending upon the size of the boiler.

lt will be observed .that the skimmers can be mounted to swingtransversely or longitudinally of the boiler, and are as effective inVone position as in the other position.

The skimmers being independent of each other, `they are not affectedgenerally when the water is boiling high under one or more of them andare free to drop in the low eddies formed by accumulated dirt and foamand will not be raised together with those which are being affected bythe high boiling water. A further advantage is the submergence of thenozzles or intake-tubes.

' This locates them in clear water and consequently prevents the nozzlesbeing clogged with dirt, and when the blow-off-valve is opened thepressure of steam seeking to escape through the nozzles creates aninrush or funnel-shaped suction which will rapidly clear the surface ofthe water of the dirt and foam and with the use of less steam thanusual.

rlhe nature and scope of the invention having been thus indicated andits preferred embodiment having been specifically described, what isclaimedas new is: Y

l. A boiler cleaner comprising a pipeframe rigidly supported in theboiler and forming a discharge-conduit, a blow-oli@` valve for saiddischarge-conduit, and a plurality of float-controlled skimmers pivotedaxially and separately on said pipe-frame and mounted in communicationtherewith,

whereby they can operate independently ofV each other.

2. A boiler cleaner comprising a pipeframe rigidly supported in theboiler and forming a discharge-conduit, a blow-Offvalre for saiddischarge-conduit. and a plurality of float-controlled skimmers pivotedseparately on said pipe-frame and mounted in communication therewith,each of said skimmers being formed with a'hollow hub in communicationwith the pipe-frame, pipearms extending from said hub, and provided withlaterally-projecting nozzles, and a float mounted between the pipe-arms.

3. A boiler cleaner comprising a pipeframe forming a discharge-conduit,means for removably and rigidly supporting it upon the tubes within aboiler, a blow-offvalve for said discharge-conduit, a plurality ofskimmers in communication with said discharge-conduit and pivotedaxially and sep-l ico conduit formed of sections of pipe, elbow andl"joir1`ts detachably connected together, whereby said discharge-,pipecan be formed with numerous branch conduit extensions projectinglaterally therefrom at dierent angles, and a float-controlled skimmerpivoted axially on each of said branch extensions and communicatingtherewith.

6. ln a boiler cleaner, a fixed 'dischargeconduit supported in the steamspace of a boiler, a float-controlled skimmer pivoted adjacent the endof said conduit, said skimmer being,` provided with afhollow hub com theeXtreme end of the discharge-conduit is l0 municating With saiddischarge-conduit and eliminated.

which forms the pivoting means for the In testimony whereof I hereuntoaffix my skimmer, a closing-cap for the end of the signature.dischargeconduit7 said cap being provided with a relatively smallaperture forming a blow-hole between the steam space of the Witnesses:boiler and the interior of the discharge- ROBERT R. HUMPHREY, conduit,whereby accumulation of dirt in CHARLES J. GEHLBACH.

EDMUND RANKIN.

